Zhen San is dead, the sky is hard to support, and Chibi is in decline - Age1983

Preface: In 2008, fighting online games began to make a big push into the online game market. Numerous arcade game fans finally got what they were waiting for - "Dynasty Warriors". The Korean game "Heaven" was no longer out of reach and soon entered open beta testing not long after "Dynasty Warriors", destined to become rivals with "Dynasty Warriors".

Perfect World's "Red Cliff" started its hype campaign just before and after the open beta testing of "Dynasty Warriors". The once sensational "Zhao Yun Biography" was reinterpreted through erotic CG scenes, which I found quite disdainful. However, the purpose of hype is that whether others criticize or love it, in the end, it makes you remember. And I did remember; the result of remembering is - after the movie "Red Cliff" was released, I didn't even bother to watch it. I lost faith in how our country develops and "creates" around the history of the Three Kingdoms. I am a conservative person!

This article is very exciting to read. It is an absolute masterpiece in online game reviews. If evaluated according to the standards of college entrance exam essays, this article would receive high scores. However, the reviews on "Dynasty Warriors", "Heaven", and "Red Cliff" are not very accurate, as they are based on personal opinions rather than more rational perspectives. Nevertheless, laughter, anger, and criticism all form good articles, and I like the last sentence of this article.

The period of the Three Kingdoms in Chinese history, which lasted only a brief ninety years, became a battlefield of smoke and fire cherished by the descendants of Huaxia due to a novel. Perhaps even Little Luo wouldn't have expected that a thousand years later, people in China would still sigh over it endlessly.

When I was a child listening to storytelling and watching TV dramas based on the novel, I didn't pay much attention. But now looking back, isn't this novel actually a complete game design document? We can't help but admire it. Otherwise, how could we say our ancestors had foresight?

According to statistics, there are hundreds of game titles based on the Three Kingdoms, among which many are masterpieces. Nowadays, in China, it is the era of online games, so naturally, Guan Yu will be repackaged again. With the public beta testing of Shanda's "Heaven", and Perfect World's "Red Cliff" and Tianxi's "Dynasty Warriors", a "Three Kingdoms Domination" situation has formed. These three works caught my interest because their developers are from China, South Korea (Goryeo), and Japan (Fusang). Fusang has always been a strong power in video games, Goryeo rose through online games, and China is now vigorously promoting self-development. Since they are based on the same theme, they can be compared. Of course, this article is just my personal opinion, discussing the works themselves, not intentionally elevating them to the level of national strength. After all, at the current domestic level, they are not up to par.

The common selling point of these three works is the national war, which is also the theme of the Three Kingdoms. Among them, the focus is different, otherwise, wouldn't they all be the same? Enough talk, let's get straight to the point. This review mainly focuses on personal experience, interpreting the game from the perspective of character growth, thus avoiding bias and not favoring any side.

Perfect Red Cliff: The Fifth Bowl of Noodle Soup

Market Strategy: Combining with the movie for promotion, grabbing the chance to start open beta testing earlier than the other two, combined with Perfect's usual large-scale advertising campaigns and innovative hype methods, Red Cliff still has a certain degree of anticipation, especially when the other two haven't been launched yet, allowing everyone to go in and take a look first.

Market Hype: Adding a body photographer with a handsome man and beautiful woman completely naked, although the plot is extremely melodramatic, everyone can watch and criticize, and the effect is definitely achieved. Later adding the 12-meter-long Red Cliff painting and player-planned activities, the popularity continued to increase.

After the game went into open beta, I immediately entered to experience it, playing for a few days. To be honest, Red Cliff is not really anything special. It's not because of the similar engine or unreasonable plots. It's because of a sense of deja vu - yes, it's WoW. The gameplay feels almost the same - a large map, countless quests, leveling up, national wars, and that's all the game has.

In summary, Red Cliff is essentially WoW with a Three Kingdoms background plus Perfect's usual style (manifested in repetitive quests, etc.). The only difference is that all character skills have new appearances, but this hasn't fundamentally changed the game. The process of the game is questing and leveling up, then engaging in national wars after leveling up. Because it's item-based payment, don't expect any balance in the game. A group attack from four or five top-tier equipment can instantly kill the entire opposing team, without any technique involved. Therefore, if you want to stand out, all you need to do is empty your wallet. This weapon upgrade system combined with the recharge economic system is no different from "Journey to the West," though relatively cheaper.

Therefore, I can fully consider:

Red Cliff = Three Kingdoms Background + WoW + Perfect Engine + Journey to the West Economic System + Skill Upgrade Method

Because Red Cliff is Perfect's fifth work, its product research and development have already reached a mature stage. It's not easy to find aspects that you can't tolerate. So, if you have money, time, and are used to WoW and Perfect's operation methods, want to effortlessly slaughter enemies, and want to experience a little bit of the historical storyline of the Three Kingdoms, Red Cliff is your choice because "Dynasty Warriors" and "Heaven" cannot meet these needs. Of course, you won't spend less money. As the saying goes, comparing people will drive you crazy, and comparing goods will make you throw them away. This is the basic principle of item-based payment planning.

Lacking distinct features and tending towards mediocrity, this is Red Cliff. These characteristics determine that its market prospects will not achieve great success. But because it doesn't pursue unique features leading to extreme designs, it can meet the needs of some novice players. Therefore, Red Cliff won't fail either.

From the perspective of Perfect's product structure, Red Cliff is just a thematic supplement to the series, attracting different types of players. Thus, such operational results are acceptable.

Overall Review: Red Cliff, a mediocre game, the fun you can experience is creating a killing machine by spending money.

Noodle soup, the fifth bowl. By the time you eat the fifth bowl, can you still find the warmth and moving feeling of the first bowl?